ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning Moeed Yusuf said on Sunday that more than 6,000 Pakistanis will return home in coming week, ARY News reported.
Moeed Yusuf, while talking to ARY News programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’, said that the federal government has complete all arrangements for the phase-wise repatriation of the nationals trapped in different countries due to suspension of flight operations amid coronavirus pandemic.
He detailed that 2,000 nationals will be brought back to Pakistan till April 20 (tomorrow), whereas, more than 6,000 nationals will return home in the next week. He added that coronavirus screening tests will be undergone for all returnees.
Read: Govt’s focus on stepping up Covid-19 testing to identify affected areas: Moeed Yusuf
“We had brought back all nationals trapped at different airports 15 days ago. The government is making arrangements to bring back unemployed Pakistanis in foreign countries including Saudi Arabia. Some special flights of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were utilised to repatriate our nationals while transporting foreign citizens to their countries.”
“Our embassies have been directed to compile a list of stranded citizens in their respective countries. We are also trying to allow other airlines to bring back our citizens besides giving all facilities to the stranded Pakistanis despite facing a shortage of resources.”
The special assistant elaborated that quarantine facilities have been established at Torkham and Chaman border. All persons will be kept in the quarantine facilities for two days until they were tested negative for the coronavirus, said Yusuf, adding that the Torkham border was reopened from yesterday and the people could cross the border twice in a week.
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